Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
Joshua's command cuts to the heart of the matter: they must banish all false gods not merely from their houses but from their minds and affections. Whether they harbored physical idols or merely the lingering desires for them, the demand is the same, renounce every trace of profanity so that God alone holds their worship and their love.
AI summary
Joshua compels them to choose not because serving God is optional, but because a reasoned, deliberate choice will bind their consciences far more securely than mere obligation. The will of man clings most firmly to what it has elected freely; thus he sets before them a genuine fork in the road and demands they take it knowingly.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 24:15-28
These strange gods were real idols Israel had kept hidden among them, plunder from Canaan or relics from Egypt, not mere mental fancies. Joshua, discerning their presence by prophetic insight, commands their removal and calls the people to bend their entire hearts toward the worship and service of the Lord alone.
AI summary